


Find Me a Match

by elless



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-16
Updated: 2011-04-16
Packaged: 2017-11-20 14:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/586187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elless/pseuds/elless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jared's brother sets him up on a blind date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Find Me a Match

Jeff sidled up to Jared and offered him a new beer. Jared eyed him suspiciously, not used to Jeff waiting on him.

“What do you want?” Jared asked, taking the beer and swallowing a mouthful. His parents never got the good beer for these family get-togethers, but he’d take what he could get. It was hotter than Satan’s balls out here today.

“What makes you think I want anything?” Jeff’s innocent face looked more like he was constipated, so Jared didn’t buy it.

“Because I know you. What is it?”

“All right. Fine.” Sighing, Jeff raised his hands in surrender, nearly spilling his beer. “There’s a guy at work I think you should meet.”

Jared groaned. “I thought y’all gave up on that matchmaking bullshit after last time?”

“Uh,” Jeff hedged.

It was like talking to a brick wall when it came to his family and his (lack of a) dating life. They didn’t seem to understand that he was happy and content and if the right guy came along, great. If not, no big deal. His mom and Jeff were the worst, trying to hook him up with any gay or bi man in Texas. His mom was about ready to grab men off the street, Jared thought, until he put his foot down and told them no more blind dates. He’d really hoped they got the message this time but apparently not.

“Jeff, I know you mean well and all, but I’m _fine_. I’m so busy with school that I don’t have time to date anyway.”

“Look, I know all your arguments against this, but I really think you should meet this guy. He’s perfect for you.”

Jared stared at Jeff’s earnest face for a long moment, then sighed, whole body drooping in defeat.

“I’m not promising anything,” he started and rolled his eyes at Jeff’s grin. “But tell me about him.”

“He’s a physical therapist. New. Just moved to Austin a few months ago. He’s a great guy and fucking hilarious, really smart and sharp and according to people who pay attention to these things, he’s extremely hot. In Beth’s words, he makes her palms sweat and knees weak.”

Jared snorted. Jeff sounded like a used car salesman. “Does this perfect man have a name?”

“Jensen. Ackles. So you’ll go out with him?” Jeff asked eagerly.

Jared hesitated, shaking his head. “I don’t know, Jeff. I’m really not looking for anything right now.”

“Listen, just call the guy, okay? Talk to him for a few minutes, see if you feel any sparks. If there’s nothing there, no harm, no foul.”

“Does Jensen even know you’re trying to hook us up?”

“I may have mentioned you to him a time or 20.”

“Okay, fine!” Jared threw his arms up. “I’ll call him, but this is the last time. No more matchmaking after this. Promise me.”

Jeff traced an X over his heart, his solemn expression ruined by the twitching of his mouth. “I promise.”

:::

It took Jared over a week to finally call Jensen. He really was busy with school and work. It wasn’t just an excuse to account for his being single. It’d been nearly a year since he dated seriously, and he didn’t really miss it. But his family was relentless sometimes, and it was better to go along with them than try to talk them out of it.

Jared sat on his couch, hunched over with his elbows on his knees, phone in one hand and paper with Jensen’s number on it in the other. Sucking in a deep breath, he flipped his phone open and slowly punched in the number. It rang for so long that Jared started composing a voicemail message in his head, so he was caught off-guard when someone answered.

“Hello?” a voice said tentatively.

“Jensen?”

“Yeah?”

“This is Jared. Padalecki. Jeff’s brother? Please tell me he told you I’d be calling.”

“Oh. Right. Hi. He did mention it, yeah. I wasn’t sure you actually would, though.”

“Good. I wouldn’t put it past the asshole not to say anything.”

Jensen laughed, and the sound made Jared’s stomach flip over.

“I have a meddling family, too, so I understand,” Jensen said, laughter mixed with exasperation in his voice.

“Yeah? Does your mama bug you about grandkids and make you feel guilty for not providing her with any yet?”

“Oh, God, all the time. You’d think I was torturing her by staying single.”

“Exactly. Mothers,” he muttered under his breath, and Jensen made a noise of agreement.

Jared shifted back against the couch cushions, relaxing slightly. At least Jensen seemed like the nice guy Jeff claimed he was.

“So, uh, would you like to get dinner sometime?” Jared asked, surprisingly nervous. Except for the handful of blind dates his mom and Jeff had forced on him in the last few months, he was extremely out of practice when it came to this kind of thing.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

“So dinner, Friday night?” It was about the only free time Jared had, between school and his part time job with the city.

“Hang on. Let me check my schedule.” There was rustling over the line, then the sound of paper crinkling. A minute later, Jensen came back. “I have a late appointment that afternoon, but I’m free that night. Do you know King’s on 5th?”

“Yeah. Their steaks are excellent.”

“I can make us a reservation at 7.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Great.”

“Wait! How will we know each other? Shouldn’t we have some kind of identifiers?”

“What, like red roses in our pockets?” Jensen joked.

Jared grinned. “Something like that.”

“I already know what you look like, Jared.”

“Oh, Jesus,” he groaned. “Don’t tell me Jeff’s been passing my picture around the hospital.”

Jensen laughed, and it sounded even better this time. “No. He has the picture of your family from his wedding hanging up in his office.”

“Thank God. But that still doesn’t help me to know who you are.”

“I’ll be the one sitting at the table reserved for Jensen Ackles.”

“You’re not gonna make this easy for me, are you?”

“Nope.”

Strangely, Jared suddenly wondered if Jensen’s smile was as amazing in person as it sounded over the phone.

:::

Jared arrived at King’s 15 minutes early but hung back from going inside at first so he wouldn’t seem so eager. He’d spent the last five days alternating between anticipation and worry. He didn’t know how he let Jeff talk him into these things. Blind dates had never gone well for him, and the last one had seriously almost put him off dating for good.

Finally, Jared stopped pacing in front of the restaurant like a creeper and went inside. The host informed him that his party was already there and directed him to a small table toward the back. It was dimly lit by a chandelier and a candle in a holder on the table, but Jared could clearly see the man sitting there. And holy hell, Jeff calling Jensen hot was the world’s biggest understatement, like saying the Empire State Building was kind of tall. Jensen was the most gorgeous man Jared had ever seen, and he got shockingly better when his perfect mouth curved into a smile at Jared’s approach.

Jared might’ve stumbled and nearly tripped on a chair at the sight, but he’d never admit it.

“Jensen?”

“Jared, hi.” He lifted half out of his chair to shake Jared’s hand, then dropped back down, smoothing his tie back into place.

“Have you been waiting long?” Jared asked as he slid into his own seat. He’d worried about being overdressed, but Jensen’s suit and tie made him feel easier about his own.

“Nah, just a few minutes.”

They lapsed into silence then, until Jared shook his head with a choked off laugh. “Well, I’m glad this isn’t awkward or anything.”

Jensen laughed, and Jesus, it was 100 times sexier in person than it was over the phone.

The silence that followed was much more comfortable and carried them through their server coming to take their order.

“So Jeff mentioned you just moved to Austin?” Jared sipped the wine Jensen had suggested, pleasantly surprised by the smooth flavor. He usually wasn’t a fan of red wine, but this was really good.

“Yeah,” Jensen said. “I was at a really good hospital in Michigan, but I wanted to come back home to Texas. Missed it and my family too much.”

“You grew up here?”

“In Dallas, yeah, but I went to UT Austin for undergrad.”

Jared wrinkled his nose. “Don’t tell me you’re a Mavs fan.” He shuddered dramatically.

Jensen rolled his eyes, smile tugging up the corners of his mouth. “I know, I know. Jeff’s already given me shit about it. Does it help if I tell you I’m not really a basketball fan and that I love the Cowboys?”

He pretended to consider it for a moment, then shrugged. “I suppose so.”

“Oh, good. I’m so relieved,” Jensen replied dryly.

Their server interrupted then with their meals, and Jared lost himself in his steak and garlic potatoes for a few minutes. Well, when he wasn’t sneaking glances at Jensen anyway. It was unfair, but Jensen somehow managed to look sexy while chewing.

“So what about you? Jeff said you’re in grad school?”

“Mm-hm. For psychology this time.”

“This time?”

“I already have a degree in engineering and my Masters in physics.”

“Over-achiever much?”

Snorting, Jared sat back in the seat, wine glass held loosely in one hand. “I think I’m just addicted to school. I worked for the city while I got my Masters and for awhile afterward but quit when I decided to go back to school.”

“Psychology doesn’t exactly fit in with the rest.”

“No, not much,” he laughed. “I minored in psych during undergrad.”

Jensen shook his head. “I couldn’t wait to graduate and actually get my hands on patients.” Jensen frowned, a crinkle forming between his eyes in an adorable way. “Wait. That sounded better in my head.”

Jared burst out laughing, and Jensen joined in a moment later.

“No, I get it. Jeff said you’re really good with the patients.” Jeff had been freakishly excited when Jared told him he’d called Jensen, and took the opportunity to reiterate all Jensen’s good points. So far, Jensen was living up to the hype.

Jensen ducked his head with a shy, pleased little smile. Jared smiled back and dug back into his steak.

:::

Several hours of talking later, Jensen glanced at his watch, then grimaced.

“I really hate to cut this short, but I should head home. I have an early appointment in the morning. And that’s not just an excuse to get away from you or anything,” Jensen explained hastily. “I really do have to be at the hospital at 7 a.m.”

A spike of disappointment hit Jared, but he believed Jensen’s story. He just didn’t want their date to end yet.

They asked for the check, and Jared snatched it before Jensen could when their server brought it to the table. Jensen sent him a mock disgruntled look, but it melted into a smile after a moment. Jared couldn’t help smiling back. His smile was a little uncontrollable around Jensen.

“Do you wanna share a cab?” Jared suggested as they walked outside. It wasn’t exactly a clever ploy to extend their date, but he didn’t really care.

“Actually, I live a few blocks from here. That’s why I chose King’s.”

“So you could run away in case I sucked?” he joked.

“Well…” Jensen ran a hand through his short hair and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I don’t know Jeff all that well yet. I wasn’t sure if I could trust him.”

“Good instinct,” Jared told him, bumping their shoulders together. “He can be a giant pain in the ass.”

Jensen barked out a laugh, then shifted awkwardly. “So, um—”

“I’ll walk with you and grab a taxi from there. If that’s okay?”

“No. That’s great. I could use a big, strong man to protect me on the way home.”

Jensen’s mischievous grin mesmerized Jared for several moments, long enough that he missed the opportunity for a witty comeback. Instead, he followed Jensen as he turned down the sidewalk. They stayed close enough that their arms and hands brushed every once in awhile. Several times, Jared had to stop himself from hauling Jensen to him and kissing him till they couldn’t stand up anymore.

“What made you decide to go to Michigan, man?” Jared asked. He glanced at Jensen out of the corner of his eye, thrown again by how gorgeous he was, even in the wan light from the street lamps.

“A crazy, misguided whim,” Jensen answered with a shrug. “The hospital and my coworkers were awesome, but I’m not afraid to admit I was terribly homesick.”

“I would be, too. My family may drive me crazy, but I love them.”

Jensen nodded, then gestured to a building. “This is me,” he said, stopping by the front door. He fished his keys out and bounced them in his palm.

“Right.” Jared slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. He always hated this end-of-date awkwardness. “I had a really good time tonight.”

“Me too. We should do it again.”

Jared grinned. “Definitely.”

Jensen’s answering smile made Jared acutely aware of Jensen’s mouth and how much he wanted to kiss it. He swayed a little closer. When Jensen sucked in a short gasp and focused his gaze on Jared’s mouth, Jared decided to just go for it.

Jensen tasted even better than Jared expected, and Jared licked into his mouth with a low moan. Pressing closer, Jensen wrapped his arms around Jared and whimpered. It was slow and almost lazy, and Jared didn’t plan to stop until he learned every shape and contour and flavor of Jensen’s mouth. And, holy hell, this might be the best kiss of Jared’s life.

“Damn,” Jared murmured against Jensen’s mouth.

“What?” Jensen sounded and looked dazed still, and a huge wave of _want_ punched through Jared’s body.

“I just realized I’m gonna have to tell Jeff he was right about you.” It was so totally worth it, though.

“I think you’ll live,” Jensen said dryly.

Jared slid his hands up to cup Jensen’s jaw and tilted his head down for another kiss. Jensen pressed closer for several long moments before pulling away with a groan.

“I really should go inside,” Jensen said. He didn’t move away or let go of Jared, so Jared figured it was a halfhearted request at best.

Jared kissed him again, sucking on that delicious bottom lip and growling at Jensen’s soft moans. Eventually, Jensen placed both hands on Jared’s chest and pushed him away.

“Really. I need to go inside, and you need to go home.” Jensen put on what Jared assumed was his determined face, so he reluctantly backed off.

“Okay, okay. I’ll call you,” Jared promised, pressing one last kiss to Jensen’s mouth.

“You better.” Jensen smiled, his mouth all red and swollen and soft-looking. Jared reached for him once more, but Jensen sidestepped him, finally fitting his key to the lock. “Night, Jared.”

“Night, Jensen.”

Jensen waved before heading inside and shutting the door. Stuffing his hands in his pants pockets, Jared grinned and went to look for a taxi.

He’d have to buy Jeff some beer as a thank you.  



End file.
